2 year old with broken arm - any tips?

elfen

Clingfilm or a plastic bin bag with a helluva lot of tape! That's how I managed when I broke my wrist, and what my mum did when she had her knee done.

Also, plenty of Calpol and plenty of cuddles, and maybe even a teddy with a bandaged arm to take to the fracture clinic with her, so the nurses can treat teddy too?

Violetta_2

Aw beks honey, poor wee mite. What a start to the year, surely you & oh must be due some good luck sometime soon.
I know it's not the same but when my dd went through a bath phobia phase for a while she didn't turn into a dirty monkey (well not much of 1) a good wash with a sponge or flannel will keep her clean, do you have a baby bath? she could have a soak & it'd be easier to keep the cast away from the water. Also unless her hair is particularly thick a rub over with a cloth will do for now.

shellsuit

Oh Beks, I hope the littlun' is OK and she's not in too much pain! Poor little thing

Like Violetta said, you and yours deserve a bloody break!! xxx

Quackers

beks wrote: »

She is having pins out under a general anaesthetic anyway so think I will be lucky there. Not looking forward to fracture clinic but will bribe her with choosing the colour of her cast!
Thanks everyone, feel a little reassured now! It is so different when it is your own child!

ooooo...it's wasn't just colours in our plaster room at the hospital...

there were patterns too :T

My daughter....who I forgot to mention is 18 next month....has a cat paw print paster cast....tis fabtastic

Hope you are letting her colour in the dreary white one she has now...that should keep her occupied for..oh at least 3 minutes...;)

I'm sure she will be fine in a couple of days...once the pain dies off. My daughter had major surgery on her foot/calf so was in a lot of pain to begin with but has been fine for weeks now

HelenKA_2

Just do minimum washing until she feels easier then give meds about 15-20 mins before she gets in. Bubble bath helps to encourage and clean, maybe a story tape if suitable plug point and soak required.

We got a good method of tieing an adults sock firmly - not tightly of course, above the cast. Then do plastic bag taped round above the sock again snuggly but not tightly. Sock catches drips and arm hangs out on side of bath - of course you will be with her and can support it too.

Also you can give ibu and para alternately 2-3 hours apart keeping within the maximum doses within the 24hr period. I kept a piece of paper so we could keep track and try to keep a paracetamol for during the night as she needs to have something to eat with ibuprofen, mods please delete if too much medical advice - sorry!

Krystaltips

My daughter broke her wrist when she was 2 too... She was in a half-cast to start with but pulled that off like a sock... Then they put her in a full wrist cast that lasted 48hours before she pulled it off... On a Saturday night.... So we had to wait 2 hours in casualty before a nurse with no casting skills did a really poor job of an over elbow cast... We ended up back there on the Monday morning for fracture clinic where they cut the old on off and put a luminous pink full arm cast on her... We didn't get a sling either, I can't remember the reasoning now but in hindsight, she wouldn't have worn it anyway... She adapted brilliantly to the cast and it didn't get in her way at all...

However when we took her to get the big pink cast off, she went into hysterical screams, despite knowing it didn't hurt from having it done the first time... :rolleyes:

Really hope your daughter feels better soon

Oh yeah, what I came here to say was... Bread bags... Seemed just the right length and were waterproof... Although she did have reduced baths while she had the cast on, they were just too much hassle...

Looby_Lou

Tops that are 2 sizes too big meant we could get them over my sons cast, short sleeved t shirts were easiest. A gilet might be useful for keeping warm. We found the fracture clinic were great and pushed DS2 to the front of the queue as he was getting distressed. He got far more upset at getting the cast removed, and had pain afterwards. If you use childcare, then check what they say. When dS1 broke both arms, his school were great but I know that other schools in the area wouldn't have allowed him to be in school, it just depends on the rules that the childcare have. Kids do seem to adapt pretty quickly.

flybynight

get a limbo... they are waterproof enough to swim in. means u can just lob her in the bath as normal.

Errata

Speaking from experience here, I broke my arm when I was 5 and still vividly remember it ! Baggy clothes and strip washes will help you both - no child died from not being able to bath or shower for a few weeks and it's very, very important to keep the cast dry. Get someone to help you with the hair washing, my mum turned it into a great game and laid me on my back on the draining board and washed my hair over the kitchen sink.
If she needs pain relief ring your practice now and talk to a GP.
HTH

beks

Thanks all, she is doing a little better today. Pain is up and down but I am persevering with analgesia and it is being kept under control. Night time is worse but I think its because she has got out of her routine and can't get comfortable. She wriggles a lot so even with pillows to support her arm at the start of the night, by the time I go back in she has moved them all around and most are on the floor :rolleyes:.

OH bought some tops for 4-5 year olds (they are the ones with that look like they have a long sleeved top underneath) and we cut the sleeve off. Told her that it was a top for girls with special bandages and she was happy with that (got very distressed when we had to cut her top off in hospital lol!).

Not attempted bath tonight, she had some blood in her hair from the op but some has brushed out and I been soaking the ends in water today and got most of it out. She does have long, thick hair so will need a proper wash soon but will try all your suggestions for bathing thanks. Looked for limbos but i can only seem to find some for 4-5 years upwards, she is a slim 2 year old so not sure if I want to spend £15 odd for it not to fit but will keep looking for little sizes!

Checked with our childcare and they are happy to take her when she has a full cast and when we are happy. They said they will adapt her activities accordingly so thats good. Cannot get hold of her swimming tuition but I am hoping they will postpone her lessons for another term until the cast is off.

Violetta and Shell - thanks! Yeah, I hoped it would be a good year, not a great start but things can only get better!!! Still waiting for court news! :cool: